MediPharm: Conditions: Everyday Health

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Healthy Living

Many factors affect your health. Some you cannot control, such as your genetic makeup or your age. But you can make changes to your lifestyle. By taking steps toward healthy living, you can help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and other serious diseases. For example,

See your doctor for regular screenings, not just when you are sick
Maintain a healthy weight
Eat a variety of healthy foods, and limit calories and saturated fat
Be physically active
Control your blood pressure and cholesterol
Quit smoking
Protect yourself from too much sun

Research shows that good nutrition can help to lower people’s risk for many chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, some cancers, diabetes, and osteoporosis. However, a large gap remains between healthy dietary patterns and what we actually eat.

Good nutrition begins in infancy. Children who were not breastfed are at increased risk for overweight, asthma, and some childhood infections. Of concern for both children and adults is micronutrient malnutrition, which can negatively affect survival and growth for children, health and pregnancy outcomes for women, and resistance to illness for both.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins are organic substances made by plants or animals. On the other hand, minerals are inorganic elements that come from the earth, soil and water, and are absorbed by plants. Animals and humans absorb minerals from the plants they eat. Vitamins and minerals are nutrients that your body needs to grow and develop normally.

Vitamins and minerals have a unique role to play in maintaining your health. For example, Vitamin D helps your body absorb the amount of calcium - a mineral - it needs to form strong bones. A deficiency in vitamin D can result in a disease called rickets, which is softening of the bones caused by the body’s inability to absorb the mineral calcium. Your body cannot produce calcium; therefore, it must be absorbed through our food. Other minerals like chromium, copper, iodine, iron, selenium, and zinc are called trace minerals because you only need very small amounts of them each day. The best way to get enough vitamins is to eat a well-balanced diet with a variety of foods.

However, there are times, such as during pregnancy and childhood, when your body needs more vitamins than usual. Multivitamins are recommended for those who need extra vitamins, who cannot eat enough food to obtain the required vitamins, or who cannot receive the full benefit of the vitamins contained in the food they eat.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.

Bio-Energee	BioCal D 600	Bio-Natural Vitamin E Plus Selenium	Hipoten C
Spirulina	Vitamin C-250 mg